WO1997017228A1

WO1997017228A1 - Fixing device for load placed on loadcarriers on motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO1997017228A1
Application number: PCT/NO1996/000261
Authority: WO
Inventors: Karsten Bjelland
Original assignee: Karsten Bjelland
Priority date: 1995-11-09
Filing date: 1996-11-05
Publication date: 1997-05-15
Also published as: NO300581B1; NO954502D0; AU7712096A; NO954502L

Abstract

The invention relates to an attachment device for load placed on load carrying members (18) on motor vehicles (20) wherein each load carrying means (18) is assigned a stretchable strap (24, 24') which is placed across the load (36, 36'). In order to attach the load (36, 36') rapidly and securely, an attachment means (10a) has been displaceably disposed along each load carrying member (18), said attachment means (10a) cooperating with the respective load carrying member (18) by means of sliding and/or rolling means (16, 16', 16'') and surrounding the load carrying member (18) cross-sectionally. The attachment means (10a) is connected to one end of said stretchable strap (24, 24'), the other end portion thereof being inserted into a locking device (22, 26) adapted to stretch and lock said strap after it has been placed over the load (36, 36') on the load carrying member (18), the attachment means (10a) finally taking a supporting end position, resting against the adjacent portion of the load (36, 36') in the locking position of the strap.

Description

Fixing device for load placed on loadcarriers on motor vehicle

This invention relates to an attachment device for load placed on load carrying members on motor vehicles, wherein each load carrying member is assigned a strap which is placed over the load and, thereafter, stretched and locked by means of a stretching/locking device, and wherein, along each load carrying member, at least one attachment means is displaceably disposed, said attachment means cooperating such with the respective load carrying member that the attachment means can not be separated from the load carrying member, and to said attachment means the strap is firmly connected at one end thereof, the other end of said strap being brought into engagement with the stretching/locking device after the strap has been placed over the load.

Such load carrying members which pass under different names such as roof hoops, ski rack, etc. are usually disposed in pairs on top of the roof of the motor vehicle, where they extend laterally of the longitudinal direction thereof, parallel to each other.

Conventional attachment methods for fixing e.g. pipes upon roof hoops often suffer from the problem to have the straps sufficiently stretched. When the load is unsufficiently secured on top of the load carrying members, often relative movements arise between the individual objects of the load and between the objects of the load and the load carrying members. This might result in that the load or parts thereof tear itself/themselves loose from their fixed position on the roof.

From German patent publication DE 35 13 875 is known an attachment device exhibiting a plurality of the features defined introductorily which also are important for the present invention.

In this known attachment device for load placed on load carrying members on motor vehicles, it is i.a. required a circumstantial threading of the strap through at least two through-going apertures formed in two bodies connected to the load carrying member, one body displaceably connected with the load carrying member and one body firmly connected to the load carrying member. The course of threading does not favour the maximum extent with which the strap rests surroundingly against the load from above and laterally, because the attachment means hardly can take a position in which it rests directly against the opposing, adjacent portion of the load. This known attachment device is based on slide friction between the attachment means and the load carrying member.

The object of the present invention has been to eliminate deficiencies and disadvantages of prior art technique and, thus, to provide a very secure fixing of roof load upon load carrying members on a motor vehicle, wherein a simple and cheap means provides improved friction conditions between attachment means and load carrying member, simultaneously as it provides an inextricable connection between attachment means and load carrying member.

In accordance with the invention, this object is realized by means of an attachment device for load on load carrying members on motor vehicles, said device exhibiting the features as defined in the characterizing clause of the following claim l.

Advantageous features of suitable embodiments appear from the sub claims.

According to the invention, the attachment means is provided with at least one roller for rolling friction contact with the underside and/or overside of the load carrying member. In known attachment devices of this kind, it may happen that rust formations, intermediate dirt, small ice lumps, etc. oppose a rapid displacement of the attachment means during fixing of load upon the load carrying members.

Rolling friction where the roller i.a. has a shorter common contact distance with the overside and/or the underside of the load carrying member, will be superior to sliding friction also in that the roller during the forwardly rolling movements thereof crushes small foreign matter, lumps etc. that might adhere to the load carrying member's guiding path(s) for the roller(s) .

A sliding face may be used on top in the attachment means and a roller below in the same. Alternatively, the attachment means may - for further reduced friction between the load carrying member and itself - have an upper roller and two lower rollers disposed one after the other, establishing rolling contact and rolling friction between the attachment means and the load carrying member's overside and underside, respectively.

When a load has to be placed on the load carrying members, the attachment means is pushed over to the opposite side together with one stretching strap each. Each strap is fastened to an upper strap fastener on the respective attachment means, and when the load is placed on the two load carrying members, the straps are hurled over the load, the free ends of the straps each landing adjacent the associated load carrying member's self-stretching locking device which may be of an embodiment known per se. The free end portions of the straps are each inserted into the inserting slot of the associated self-stretching locking device and are locked during stretching.

During the stretching of the strap, the attachment means is pulled along the respective load carrying member and ends in a position very close to and resting against the adjacent side face of the load, thereby securing an absolutely safe lateral support and fixing of the load to the load carrying members.

An appropriate fastener for one end of each strap on the attachment means may consist of a strap fastener placed uppermost on the attachment means, and in the form of a sleeve which is freely rotatably supported on a short shaft.

Further objects, advantages and features of the object of the invention will appear from the following description of examples of possible embodiments.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a portion of a load carrying member at a corner thereof and extending towards the middle of a motor vehicle, and having a displaceable attachment means according to the invention mounted thereon, seen in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle;

Figure 2 shows an end view of the attachment means placed on a load carrying member, corresponding to the sectional line II-II in figure 1;

Figure 3 shows the attachment means displaceably placed on the load carrying member and connected to the stretching strap through the upper strap fastener thereof, seen in top plan view in accordance with figure 2;

Figure 4 shows a side elevational view of a second embodyment of an attachment means which is disposed partly sliding, partly rolling on a load carrying member.

First, reference is made to figures 1 - 3 showing a first embodiment of an attachment means shaped and designed in accordance with the present invention.

Reference numeral 10a denotes the attachment means generally. It consists of two parallel triangle-shaped plates 12, 12' having rounded corners and being kept spaced by means of three lateral shafts 14, 14', 14", each rotatably supporting a roller 16, 16' , 16".

Reference numeral 18 denotes a load carrying member included in a pair of load carrying members mounted as known on the roof 20 of a motor vehicle, and extending in the lateral direction of the motor vehicle.

At the left corner thereof according to figure 1, the load carrying member 18 has mounted thereon a self-stretching locking device 22. The locking device 22 has an insertion slot for the end portion 24' of a strap 24. As the strap 24, 24' is being pulled through the insertion slot, locking is made operative whenever the pulling action ceases. In order to abolish the locking action, a handle 26 has to be actuated.

Onto each load carrying member 18, an attachment means 10a (10b in figure 4) has been threaded such that it is displaceable along the load carrying member 18, the circumference of three rollers 16, 16', 16" of the attachment means 10a being in rolling frictional contact with adjacent face portions of the associated load carrying member 18. The attachment means 10a (10b in figure 4) surrounds the load carrying member 18 from all four sides and can, consequently, not skid off the load carrying member 18. Of course, it is only necessary that the attachment means 10a surrounds the load carrying member 18 substantially circumferentially, as the attachment means may have a slot of a smaller width than the smallest cross-sectional dimension of the load carrying member 18, without any risk of falling off the latter.

The mode of operation of the attachment device is best explained in connection with figure 1: The attachment means 10a is displaced along the load carrying member 18 to the right in the figure, to the opposite side of the roof 20. The attachment means 10a has an upper strap fastener 28 - in the examplary embodiment in the form of a sleeve 30 which is rotatably supported on a lateral shaft 32 between the plates 12, 12'. An end portion of the stretching strap 24 is attached to the strap fastener 28, the other end portion 24' of the strap 24 is free in this phase of the loading.

Load, e.g. in the form of two pipes 36, 36' extending in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, is placed upon the load carrying members 18. As soon as the load takes a desirable position, the straps 24 are hurled to the left, over the load 36, 36", the free end portion 24' of the straps 24 at the left side of the load 36, 36" being threaded into the insertion slot of the self-stretching locking device 22. In the first phase of the stretching of the straps 24, the respective attachment means 10a is pulled along the associated load carrying member 18, until the adjacent upper portion of the side plates 12, 12' of the attachment means 10a rests supportingly against the load 36, 36'. As soon as the free end portion 24' of the respective stretching strap 24 is brought into engagement with the locking device 22, one does need not to consider the attachment means 10a according to the invention, but merely concentrate oneself about the stretching of the strap 24,24'. Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the attachment means 10b. This may be built up in a similar way as the attachment means 10a according to figures 1 - 3, i.e. using two plates 12, 12' kept spaced by means of a shaft 38 for a lower roller 40 and an upper lateral piece 42, the lower face of the latter 42' forming a sliding face against the load carrying member 18. The sliding face 42' and the opposing roller 40 secure friction reducing contact between the attachment means 10b and the load carrying member 18, so that one - as in the case of figures 1 - 3 - does not risk that the attachment means 10b gets temporarily wedged on the load carrying member 18 upon a traction force acting on the strap 24,24'.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. An attachment device for load placed on load carrying members (18) on motor vehicles (20) , wherein each load carrying member (18) is assigned a strap (24,24') which is placed over the load (36,36*) and, thereafter, stretched/ locked by means of a stretching/locking device (22,26), and wherein, along each load carrying member (18) , at least one attachment means (10a; 10b) is movably disposed and cooperating such with the respective load carrying member (18) that the attachment means (10a; lOb) can not be separated from the load carrying member (18) , and to which the strap (24,24') is firmly connected at one end thereof, while the other end of the strap (24,24') is brought into engagement with the stretching/locking device (22,26) after the strap (24,24') has been placed over the load (36,36'), c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the attachment means (10a; 10b) is provided with at least one roller (16 and/or 16' and/or 16" or 40) for rolling frictional contact with the overside and/or underside of the load carrying member (18).

2. An attachment device as set forth in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the attachment means (10a) has an upper roller (16) and two lower rollers (16', 16") for rolling contact with the overside and the underside, respectively, of the load carrying member (18) .

3. An attachment device as set forth in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the attachment means (10a; 10b) uppermost carries a strap fastener (28) in the form of a sleeve (30) which is freely rotatably supported on a short shaft (32) .